Christmas gift

[JS]

Hello.

I hope you guys can help me, my dad has asked for a single malt Whisky, and it is not to be a spey (spelling?).

Now my challenge is that I have to buy it in Luton airport (or Copenhagen airport) as I am travelling back home for Christmas and I really don't wanna put in my suitcase as sods law it will break.

Any good ideas for which one to buy for me dad?

Thank you in advance.
JS

[opelfruit]

Quite a hard job recommending whisky for some whose taste you don't know. Speyside is the largest whisky producing area and it's your 'normal' whisky as far as most people are concerned, and easier to choose from due to its more mainstream/general flavour profile.

Do you know why he doesn't want a speysider? If it's because he prefers smoky or harder whisky then that narrows it down a bit more for recommending. What kind of budget are you looking at? Do you know what other stuff he likes?
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"Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whisky is barely enough."

[sorren]

Hi there.
Fo you know if your dad drinks whisky often, it might make a big difference to what we recommend. Also when you say not a" Spey "do you mean Spey from speyside distillery or the are speyside ?
Without knowing your budget I can only recommend the obvious..
laphroaig 10 Or better
Highland park 12 or better possibly highland park origin
Bowmore
Coal ila
Talisker
Or possibly a lowland whisky like
Auchentoshan
Glenkinchie
It really is quite a minefield, there would be so many to choose from..

[Quaich1]

As opelfruit has said, it's difficult to suggest a bottle without more drinker profile information. However, having said that if your Dad instructed you to keep away from Speyside bottles, I would go for the other end of the whisky spectrum and go for Islay whisky. You can't go wrong with Lagavulin 16 Year, a classy smoky, peaty and splendid dram which won't break the bank.
_________________
"Always carry a large flagon of whisky in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake."
W.C. Fields (1880-1946)

[Crane]

Which whisky brands do you know he drinks? If you let us we should be able to suggest something good from travel retail which he should like and which he wont be able to find in a normal shop. Also how much are you looking to spend?

[JS]

Thank you all for the fine comments.

The reason for wanting a non spey is due to the taste, he doesn't like the taste.
And speaking of taste I don't know his preferred Whisky brand, tbh I think he would just like to be surprised

My budget is £25 - is it even possible to get Whisky for that?

Cheers
JS

[opelfruit]

I'd suggest something from the islands then, like a Highland Park or Talisker. Going to Islay, which is very smokey and peaty, is a risk if you don't know if he likes it for not, Island stuff is a happy half way.

My other suggestion would be a Campletown whisky. This has its own style and it's quite hard to pin down, maybe maritime and salty, slight peatiness. Springbank or Kilkerran are both excellent.

Unlikely you'll get one for £25 though, especially at duty free. Even getting something discounted at supermarkets at this time of year you'll be lucky to find one for that price. You'd need to be looking between £30 and £40 realistically.
_________________
"Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whisky is barely enough."

[sorren]

You could look at something like old Pultney 12 yo, this is a entry level whisky but it is actually pretty decent and consistent.. As to if you will get it at £25 I'm not sure, I think you might have to look nearer £30 .. You might find Glenmorangie " a midwinter nights dram" for around the £28-30 mark and this is a fairly new whisky and limited edition.. Anyway good luck ..

[JS]

Hi all.

Thank you again for the fine comments.

I will see what I can find

Cheers
JS

[IndianaBlues]

Tesco currently have Highland Park 12 year old for £23, that's a bargain and not a speyside...

[ziggsteruk]

JS,

Based on what you've said - not spey, buying from an airport and £25 budget, you might want to look out for the 35cl Old Pulteney 'Noss Head'. It's not a full bottle but I picked it up at Gatwick airport earlier this year for £23 and it's a pleasant, non-Speyside dram. Most 70cl or 1ltr bottles from UK airports are over £40 for single malts, unfortunately.

Good luck!

[JS]

Hi all.

Just thought I wanted to update you.

I made a list of all of those whiskys that was mentioned in the post and went hunting in Luton Airport. I ended up buying a Bowmore Islay Black Rock for just under £50 I accept the cost as it was at Luton Airport and no way I was gonna check in a suitcase with a whisky in it. Sods law would want it to break. (It was the cheapest one on the list I made, and it was that or no gift for dad )

Thanks for the heads up that there was no chance for me getting a bottle of whisky for £25.
However my dad like Chivas Regal and another one I can't remember. (That could have saved me money oh well lol )

Me who only drinks whisky in my coke (don't judge lol) actually liked the Bowmore and so did my dad! I like it so much I considering buying it to me self. :D

Anyway thanks for your advice and good ideas for this newbie.

Merry xmas and happy New Year!
JS

Ps He doesn't like the spey whiskys due to the smokey flavour however in the Bowmore it wasn't to bad